According to Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver, Sheriff’s Office personnel spent time this week training with the Alabama National Guard’s Counterdrug unit. This National Guard program is a vital part of a coalition of National Guard members and law enforcement agencies, which are involved in a multi-front battle against drugs and related violence. The mission is to provide high quality military personnel and equipment to support federal, state, and local drug law enforcement agencies that work to reduce the demand for drugs. According to Chief Investigator Josh Summerford, most of the training was conducted at or near the old Centre airport on Northwood Drive, where investigators were trained on a variety of topics including aircraft safety, identifying illegal drugs from the air, operating specialized equipment to use during drug trafficking investigations, and other equipment used to locate suspects when they have fled a drug or violent crime scene. Sheriff Shaver stated, “We appreciate the cooperation of the Alabama National Guard Counterdrug Unit to help combat illegal activity in our county.”